Princess Leonor’s parents beam with pride as she makes her first speech at age 13

By Meaghan Wray

October 31, 2018

Princess
Leonor
is all grown up and aren’t her parents proud! The
Princess of Asturias made sure to ring in her 13
th birthday right
with a powerful speech marking the 40
th anniversary of Spain’s
Constitution. Standing by her side was her father,
King Felipe VI,
while proud mom
Queen Letizia
watched her eldest daughter address the crowd at the Cervantes Institute in
Madrid alongside Leonor’s little sister,
Infanta Sofia.

Her father watched proudly as Leonor read the first of
the 169 articles of Spain’s Carta Magna. Once the princess finished, her dad
gave her a proud handshake and a kiss on the cheek for a job royally well done!
The young woman is well on her way to walking confidently in the footsteps of Queen
Letizia – and she’s really taking after her mom when it comes to style.
Leonor looked sweet as ever in a pretty teal dress with a Peter Pan collar,
pulling the outfit together with a pair of Mary Jane flats.

Princess Leonor is first in line to the Spanish throne
after her father, given that she is the eldest child of the current king and
queen. Because Felipe and Letizia only have daughters, the country’s
male-preference system – a similar system to the one Britain
did
away with in 2013
– doesn’t come into effect until they
were to give birth to a boy.

Last year, when Leonor was 12 years old, she was awarded
a very prestigious honour called the Order of the Golden Fleece – a symbolic
step towards becoming the Queen of Spain. Her father handed off the award to
her, saying: “I know it may seem like you have lots of challenges and
responsibilities to face, all important and difficult, but know that you have
the support of many people who want the best for Spain, for the crown and for
you.”

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